IT WAS THE 23 OF DECEMBER. CHRISTMAS decorations were everywhere in Scotland, Aberdeen, since the end of November. It was late in the afternoon and Sam decided to go out in town to buy some more books she wanted as she had nothing to read until Christmas. It wasn't something that happened quite a lot in her life. Since she began to love reading - at the age of seven - she had always had a pile of unread books that waited for her.

But she finished her last one during the night and couldn't spend one day without something to escape into. She was this kind of girl that had her room full of books and a small place dedicated to her clothes whereas most girls were the opposite of her. But Sam didn't care. She would rather spend her entire afternoon under the blankets of her bed with a nice story than walking in the streets buying new dresses and shoes.

Sam took a breath, admiring her bookshelves and the piles that were on the floor and next to her bed and smiled. She loved the view of books. She grew up with those stories and couldn't now spend a day without reading. She must have a book in her hands at one moment. The blond girl prepared herself to go out and put on a coat, a hat and gloves plus a scarf to be sure not to get cold. The sun was already almost gone, soon to be down and Sam knew then that the air will be really freezing.

One look at her window and she smiled. The snow was still there, covering all the space that she could find. The white powder, dreamed by all the children of the town, was slowly falling on the ground.

Sam opened the door of her bedroom, took her purse with her and went for the living room where her parents were lying on the couch, watching some old Christmas movies.

"Mom, Dad, I'm off in town for an hour" she said popping her head through the door.

"Now ? At this time of the day ? But we're about to eat sweetie."

"It's four o'clock mom, you can wait 'til I get back."

"And what specially are you going to do back there ?"

"Buying books" she shrugged.

"Again ?" Groaned her father.

"What do you mean again ? The last time I bought some goes back to July, it's been a long time. Plus I don't care what you are saying cuz it is with my money I earned from the babysitting. So it's my decision how I spend it" Sam argued, getting a bit angry.

"Alright, alright. Just be on time" her mother answered.

"No problem, see ya'!"

And she was off towards the center of town in a blink of an eye. She found Christmas time magical. Sam adored it, showing her child soul. She acted like a kid even if she was seventeen. But she didn't mind. She loved this time of the year. Sam was the one who put decorations in her home and some small lights that shone in the night just on the top of her bed. It was like being in the sky with the stars.

As she passed shops, she kept having a smile on her face, too joyful and happy to be outside and feeling the cold and the snowflakes falling slowly to the ground. She knew already that her nose was red as she didn't feel it anymore. But Sam didn't mind. She actually liked that feeling. Turning her head in every direction, watching lights from windows and fake Santa Clauses climbing homes, she continued for two miles on the straight long street than turned left where the bookshop stood.

They were still people out there, parents making their last Christmas shopping, old couples just taking a walk and teenagers staring at shop windows hoping to get the things they wanted more. For Sam, her Christmas wish list had been done very quickly and easily. Full of books and tee-shirt or mugs that corresponded to some movies or books she read. It had been like that for about five years. She couldn't get off of her head the interminable lists of books she had in mind, always choosing the ones she wanted most.

But today was an emergency. She needed desperately to buy books. Because yes, of course, Sam wasn't going to buy just one. It would be too harmful to choose which one she was going to bring home.

So she decided she was about to take three or more, but not two because it was not much and she would probably finish the first one tomorrow and she needed to last two days. Buying three was more secure.

Sam looked at the front door and pushed it to enter the bookshop. Her nose directly caught the smell of the place. It smelt wood and the fire in the chimney. Sam adored it. The atmosphere was cosy as she liked it.

There were bookshelves all around, full of books. She loved the view. But what she loved most was the smell of unread books. She even had bought once a spray of that smell to be sure to keep it with her. Some of her friends thought she was weird, but she didn't care of what they thought. She knew she acted strange sometimes and always made references about books in her conversations but apart from that she was like everybody else.

Or thought she was until some girls laughed at her and made fun of the way she was in class. She was called "Nerdy Samy". Sam didn't appreciate it, pretending it didn't hurt her but deeper inside she knew it left scars impossible to heal.

Sam shook her head, trying to forget those bad memories. She wanted to smile and be happy on those Christmas holidays and these stupid girls would not take it from her. Bookshops were her world, her place where she felt like home for a second time. Sam walked slowly, admiring every cover that was in front of her. Some were green, some black, others white with drawings on it. But her favourite part of the bookshop was of course the teenage corner, right after the bar where people could buy cookies, scones, slices of carrot cakes and hot chocolate or tea with different taste ; and if it was the red girl who took your order, then she added secretly some small marshmallows on the top of your drink.

Sometimes she came here after class to take a break from high school and just sitting here, reading. It helped her calm down her emotions. It was like some kind of therapy to her. To some people, books were nightmares but for her it was dream life. She even secretly hoped that one day some crazy scientist would discover how to enter a book and live there, inside it. It was mental indeed, but Sam dreamed of walking round the lands of the Middle Earth, Narnia and many more.

Sam walked through the few people that were inside and made her way to the fantasy corner. She already knew which one she was about to take back home with her. For being a bookaholic as she liked to call herself, she was surprised that she took so much time to read the famous Harry Potter. She just finished them in August and had started them when she was fourteen. But well, as people said "better late than never". Her eyes went from Eragon to The FifthWave, passing by the Science Fiction section with Divergent and finally stopping at the shelves of Harry Potter.

There it stood. The ultimate book. Fantastic Beasts and where to find them. She couldn't help herself but make a small jump as she took it in her hands. The cover was beautiful and it was going to be hers. She made small noises to add to her happiness. She was relieved that it was there, because Sam thought that on the 23 of December, the bookshop might be out of copies by then. But there she was, holding it.

One of the three books she had on her list. Then the second one was Miss Peregrine's home for peculiar children. She unfortunately saw the movie before - as she preferred reading the book first - but was so deeply in admiration that she decided to buy it. The cover was a bit weird to her point of view, but she was so exited to read it, stamping on her feet. And the last one was Fangirl. But as her eyes were walking around the room, she couldn't help but want to buy a lot more. There were so many of them she hadn't read yet.

"Oh god, why do writers write so many amazing books.." She muttered under her breath.

Sam looked at the two books in her arms. She needed to stay focused on what she decided to buy or she could say goodbuy to her wallet and her babysitting money. Plus, if she bought to much, she knew she would regret it.

"Stay focused, Sam, you have to" she ordered herself.

The blond girl closed her eyes for a second, took a breath and opened them again, in the direction of the last book. But unfortunately, it was on the top of the shelves. She bit her lips. Would she get it without asking any help ? That was something Sam didn't like to do. She was a bit to small to grab some books so it happened that she needed to ask to people around her if they could catch it for her. And it was as if she would have to do it again.

She looked around her, searching someone with a nice face that would probably be happy to help her. Oh well, she would try first by herself. Sam went close to the shelf, putting herself on tiptoe and raised as much as she could her hand. Then suddenly, out of nowhere a hand passed next to hers and grabbed the book. Her book. Oh no, she thought. He's going to stealit from me!

"Hum excuse me ?"

"There you go. It seems like you needed help so I took it for you".

Sam's heart missed a heartbeat. She couldn't believe it. He was there. In front of her. Giving her the book she wanted. It was the boy on who she had had a crush since the beginning of the year. He was in her sport class, named Lucas and he had ginger hair. That was what had cought her eyes the first day she saw him. It was impossible. How could he be here, in a bookshop on the 23 of December around 4:35 of the afternoon.

"Hum.. Thanks" she said feeling her cheeks getting red as she looked at him.

She laughed a bit nervously while she took the book from his hand as he was handing it back at her.

"You were about to say something ? I thought you_"

"Oh no I just... I just thought for a second that you would take the book and walked away with it" she admitted a bit shy, looking at the cover not to look at him.

"I wouldn't do that" he argued. "Well, if you agree to this, I'm buying it for you".

"What ?"

Did she hear well ? It couldn't be. No one ever bought her a book and certainly not her boy crush.

"You thought I was going to steal it from you. So I'm offering it to you as a gift. Let's just say it's an early Christmas present."

"But I don't even know you!" She lied.

"I'm Lucas, in your sport class you know, with Madame Gauthier. And you are Sam."

She stared at him, shocked. He knew her name... He said her name. With his beautiful voice.

"How did you... I mean... What ? But you don't have... You don't have to... I didn't... I didn't mean it that way" she said stammering.

"Oh don't worry it's a pleasure for me you know."

"Really ? Buying a book to a girl you barely know ?"

"Well first I'd rather buy a book then a pair of shoes" he shrugged. "And secondly, in that way I will learn more about you."

"Like you'd cared.." Sam muttered.

"Sorry ?"

She shook her head and looked away. Why had she thought that ? Maybe he did want to know her better. Maybe it wasn't a trick at all. And why should he bother to enter a bookshop and pay 12.50 pounds for a girl he was about to dish right after ?

"You seem pretty familiar with books aren't you ?"

"Yeah, I'm a booknerd as everybody likes to call me. Or nerdy Samy for others..."

"I think that's cute. I mean, hum, the fact that you prefer books than clothes."

"Thanks" she smiled.

"Well, am I going to offer it to you miss fangirl Sam ?"

"I would like that very much" she answered giving the book back to him.

Sam wasn't very sure all of this wasn't just a magic dream. There she was, talking to Lucas like nothing else mattered - which was true - and like they had known each other already for a long time.

They both went to the cashier and Lucas bought the book under Sam's sparkling eyes. And then she bought hers. But as she was heading to the door, he called her back.

"Hum Sam ? Just wait for me, I'll be right behind you. I just need to make a quick thing."

Instead of going out, she stayed in the bookshop, looking for all the books she wanted to buy and noted them down on a piece of paper. A few minutes after, Lucas told her they could go. As they passed in front of the lady, she smiled at them and said :

"Well that's the first time I'm seeing a young couple loving books."

Sam looked embarassed at Lucas and he said with a grin :

"She's not my girlfriend but she is sure to be my mentor of the reading world."

And that made Sam's heart beating faster than she ever imagined.

❄️

Sam always loved Christmas holidays. But this time, she loved it more. She was beyond happy and couldn't stop herself from smiling wild as she went back home, three new books in her arms. It smelt good inside her home. Her mom had cooked some delicious potatoes with French beans. At dinner, Sam didn't talk about her meeting at the bookshop, and didn't mention about why she was escaping so fast from the table too. But there was a simple reason for that. Lucas had left a note in the book. That was what he had done while she was dreaming wide in front of all the bookshelves.

She opened carefully the paper, seated down on her bed under the comfy blankets.

Dear Sam,

I just wanted to apologise again for making you feel I was about to stealthe book. It was actually funny, the face you made. And of course, to officially announce that from now on, you will be my guide for 'how to become a bookaholic'.